taught masters to phd

shmux

Hi

Has anyone ACTUALLY ever gone on from a taught masters to do a PhD?
I see PhDs as research and can see how a research masters can lead to a PhD but wanted to get feedback from people who have ACTUALLY gone from taught to PhD. Seems a little improbable to me at the minute. I'm In Science, mathematics

Thanks

pwd

afaik, if you do a taught masters, you start a PhD from scratch. If you do a research masters, you do a transfer document and a viva to demonstrate that the work has a novel element and has the potential for a PhD. I don't see how you could have a novel element if you are doing a taught masters, and I'm not aware of anyone who transferred work from a taught masters into a PhD. If you have a thesis, and it has some novel element, or you see the possibility of novel research based on what you have done, then maybe you can. Publications are usually significant in research assessments too I think.

shmux

Very helpful thanks
This is very interesting.

I will completely have to rethink my postgrad strategy!

Ostrom

Big difference in Arts / Science postgraduate work

Science masters tend to be practice based or aimed at a specific skill, wheras Arts are often much broader. There is no provision for a taught master-research PhD trasfer, but it does sometimes work the other way (M.A.'s awarded in passing after a certain number of year's doctoral work) - but this practice is not common in Ireland.

The norm for science seems to be registering for PhD's straight from undergrad. I'm social science, and most of us have taught masters (I dont ) with nearly all registered PhD's having a taught M.A. (degree is 3 years, so it balances out).

pwd

If you are starting a PhD and don't have a masters, you usually register as a research masters student first and then do a transfer within two years. This is the norm even for PhD positions in projects and when you have the funding for a PhD etc.

pisslips

I think if you want to do a PHD in Maths, you might need to do a taught masters first because I don't know of any undergrad that will get you to the required level of maths to do research, maybe number theory.

Also, some taught masters would have a research project as the most major constituent beyond or the same as the level of an undergrad dissertation, so this would provide proof that you're willing and able to sustain some sort of research to a conclusion.

Particularly if you've done maths you will probably never have done a dissertation for you're undergrad.

The taught masters are pretty vital in maths I think, to get people to cover advanced topics.

Esmerelda

I did a taught MA and then I did a PhD. I'm in Humanities - it's fairly common, even the norm in my field.

shmux

pisslips wrote: »

I think if you want to do a PHD in Maths, you might need to do a taught masters first because I don't know of any undergrad that will get you to the required level of maths to do research, maybe number theory.

Also, some taught masters would have a research project as the most major constituent beyond or the same as the level of an undergrad dissertation, so this would provide proof that you're willing and able to sustain some sort of research to a conclusion.

Particularly if you've done maths you will probably never have done a dissertation for you're undergrad.

The taught masters are pretty vital in maths I think, to get people to cover advanced topics.

very helpful thanks (you in maynooth !?)

Classy name by the way!!

pisslips

I was last year.

I'm doing the HPC masters in Trinity now.

Yeah, like I said if it's pure maths you want i think you're gonna have to do a taught masters in pure maths.

Unless it's applied or computational, then you might find a funded PHD in science or technology.

shmux

did you leave after undergrad at maynooth?
they do great maths courses there imo.
was going to do the hdip in maths there but couldn't handle the early mornings!!!

Am now thinking of doing maths masters with open university with the good euro sterling rate. Only problem is the term there runs from February to October which is a bit arsseways!

pisslips

Yeah but I didn't do maths in final year, bit lazy so I did maths physics instead.

Anyways,
They do have a great maths department particularly if your interested in pure maths subjects.

I don't have a clue about the Open University. It sounds good if you're working I guess.

shmux

pisslips wrote: »

I didn't do maths in final year, bit lazy so I did maths physics instead.

Aw man. Its like you said what I was thinking. Its a cuunt isn't it. Pure maths is more noble, more true but basically a harder subject....Weird that one subject can be harder than another....

Wouldn't fancy HP computing in trinity...

ramblingcelt

There are new track PHDs (sometimes called professional PHDs) on offer in the UK and elsewhere which are part taught and are designed to offer a smoother transfer. Often 4 years in length they award degrees like a DEng and tend to be well funded.

Have a look at http://www.professionaldoctorates.com/

Hope it helps.

shmux

Thanks!

There wasn't much geared towards maths but thanks anyway

pwd

ramblingcelt wrote: »

There are new track PHDs (sometimes called professional PHDs) on offer in the UK and elsewhere which are part taught and are designed to offer a smoother transfer. Often 4 years in length they award degrees like a DEng and tend to be well funded.

Have a look at http://www.professionaldoctorates.com/

Hope it helps.

are those structured PhDs? Structured PhDs have been introduced here too recently

pisslips

shmux wrote: »

Aw man. Its like you said what I was thinking. Its a cuunt isn't it. Pure maths is more noble, more true but basically a harder subject....Weird that one subject can be harder than another....

Wouldn't fancy HP computing in trinity...

I don't think it's that bad. I mean it's easier if your the type of person who needs to undrstand every last rigourous logical step before you can accept something.
THe problem is I think you have to be very patient and consistent with it which was imcompatible with my lifestyle in college....I.E. you can't go drinking 3 days out of the 5 week days pretty consistently.

I know a few people who had no hassle with it, they probably had it easy compared to science or arts students.Similarly a couple of them doin' Masters now and they don't seem under pressure but then I wouldn't really know.

I guess it's like learning how to play a musical instrument or a language.

I wouldn't be worried about it if you're interested.
I definitely think you're gonna have to do a taught masters though.